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Doctor insights on:
Artery

Artery (Overview)

Arteries are defined as blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart (to either the body or lungs). Arteries: higher pressure, thicker walls, stretch (pulse) with each heart contraction & deliver blood to the arterioles which control the flow to individual capillaries. Veins are blood vessels which carry blood from capillaries back to the heart (body to right heart; lungs to left heart).

Artery (Overview)

Arteries are defined as blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart (to either the body or lungs). Arteries: higher pressure, thicker walls, stretch (pulse) with each heart contraction & deliver blood to the arterioles which control the flow to individual capillaries. Veins are blood vessels which carry blood from capillaries back to the heart (body to right heart; lungs to left heart).

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Artery Disease:
Artery disease is the broad term for the disease of narrowing of the blood vessels caused by the buildup of plaque. Most applied to the blood vessels that supply the heart, hence the term coronary artery disease (cad). It is assumed if you have narrowing of the vessels within the heart, then you have artery disease throughout your body. Artery disease is a risk factor for heart attacks and stroke.
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For short yes:
High salt intake "especially in salt sensitive people" is linked to increase in your blood pressure, and having high blood pressure for a long time can harden your arteries...
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Carotid Art Disease:
Your carotid arteries are two large blood vessels in your neck. They supply your brain with blood. If you have carotid artery disease, the arteries become narrow, usually because of atherosclerosis. This is the buildup of cholesterol and other material in an artery. If a blood clot sticks in the narrowed arteries, blood can't reach your brain. This is one of the causes of stroke.
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No:
Studies have shown a reduced incidence of cardiovascular adverse event in users of chocolate. There are antioxidants in chocolate that are beneficial. Enjoy! (but be careful of the calories).
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Atherosclerosis:
Narrowing or 'hardening of the arteries' seems like the body's way of planned obsolescence--or complete wearing out. Over time our arteries become more narrow and certain conditions speed up the process: smoking, diabetes (and overweight/metabolic syndrome), hi blood pressure, and hi cholesterol. Exercise can slow down the process. Plaque build up in arteries leads to heart attack and strokes.
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Calcium and platlets:
Theory is bacteria damage internal lining of arteries causing small ulcers next invaded by white blood cells and coat of fats (cholesterol), calcium, & a mat of blood platlets, all called plaque. It is as if the arteries have their own patch repair kit. Overtime plaque cracks and process recurs causing buildup that blocks ready passage of blood &, if bore of artery closed off, an heart attack.
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Family practice:
As we age our arteries develope small cracks on its walls. Many things can speed up this process. Smoking, diabetes, hypertension and family history. Cholesterol comes along and tries to patch these areas up. Over time it justs builds up. If we have a high cholesterol or triglyceride the build up is faster. So it is important to correct all those factors to help prevent stroke and heart attack.
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Start w/ these:
Tx generally start with a healthy diet, & regular exercise, both of which can help achieve & maintain ideal weight. If you use any tob products, then stopping all of it is very important. Start to read food labels. Choose more veggies. Avoid soda, all fast food. Limit juice. Choose fish (tuna/salmon) often. Work w/ proactive doc for complete eval, other tx and monitoring. Good luck!
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Clot formation:
Inflammation in the blood vessels, from any cause, usually leads to clot formation, thrombosis, in the blood vessels. Depending on the type of vessel, artery or vein, site or organ involved, the end-organ damage varies. Inflammation in the arteries damages not only the blood vessel but also the tissue/organ supplied by the artery and may result in infarction in the organ.
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Probably not:
You can overdo zinc which will lead to a copper deficiency and neurological problems. There is a reason we need micronutrients. Micro meaning small amounts. Large amounts of any nutrient can be harmful. Be very careful with supplements, they can interact with medications and with each other. Too much of a good thing can be a very bad thing.
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High calories:
Consuming more calories than the body needs will end up by building fat in the body and probably accelerates atherosclerosis. Of course consuming fatty food like junk food or red meet, diet with high sugar contents and not eating enough vegetables and fruits will also cause high cholesterol and more blockage in the arteries. Diet is important factor in atherosclerosis along with other diseases.
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Inflammation:
It is an ongoing process of damage, inflammation, and scarring that progressively obstructs the blood flow. It is exacerbated by lifestyle, health, family history/heredity, and environmental factors.
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Many branches...:
The aorta is the main blood vessel that comes from the heart and provides branches and blood to every organ in your body. It therefore splits quite a few times, but at about the level of your belly button the aorta does bifurcate into two main trunks that carry blood into the pelvis and legs called the iliac arteries (one right and the other left).
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Aging/smoking:
Aging decreases the elasticity of arteries. Prolonged smoking can speed up the process. There are also rare genetic conditions that can affect the elasticity of the arteries.
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Depends:
Vasculitis or inflamed arteries can involve different organs. Each one will cause symptoms according to the organ involved like kidneys, lungs, brain. Etc. There is general symptoms like fever, malaise, fatigue and sometimes skin rash.
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Hello:
Risk of arteriosclerosis is reduced when smoking is discontinued, blood pressure is normalized and cholesterol is reduced. If there is diabetes, control is important. There is also a role for exercise. Achieving ideal body weight is important as well.Residual risk resulting from heredity is of course not amenable to change.
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It's several things:
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is a complex process. The majority of a plaque ("blockage") is made up of cholesterol and triglycerides that come packaged in ldl-cholesterol particles. Although we say ldl-cholesterol, there is triglyceride also. The plaque also contains many white blood cells which turn into immobile cells called foam cells. The plaque is an area of inflammation.
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